The map above shows South Carolina and China side by side at exactly the same scale, using equal-area projections, so their true relative sizes are preserved.
South Carolina vs China Geography
Land area: South Carolina has a land area of 30,064 square miles (77,866 km²), while China has 3,600,947 square miles (9,326,410 km²). China's land area is 119.8 times larger than South Carolina's.
Total area: South Carolina: 32,024 square miles (82,940 km²) vs China: 3,705,407 square miles (9,596,960 km²), including inland and coastal water. China's total area is 115.7 times larger than South Carolina's.
Length: South Carolina is 236 miles (380 km) long from north to south; China is 2,551 miles (4,105 km). China's north-south length is 10.8 times longer than South Carolina's.
Width: South Carolina spans 279 miles (449 km) east to west; China spans 3,040 miles (4,892 km). China's east-west width is 10.9 times wider than South Carolina's.
Highest point: South Carolina's highest point is Sassafras Mountain at 3,497 feet (1,066 m); China's is Mount Everest at 29,032 feet (8,849 m). Mount Everest is 25,535 feet higher than Sassafras Mountain.
Lowest point: South Carolina's lowest point is Atlantic Ocean at 0 feet; China's is Turpan Depression at -505 feet. China's lowest point is 505 feet lower.
South Carolina vs China Population and History
Population: South Carolina has a population of 5,478,831 (2024), while China has 1,404,890,000 (2025). China's population is 256.4 times larger than South Carolina's.
Population density: South Carolina: 182.2 people per square mile vs China: 390.1. China's population density is 2.1 times (114%) higher than South Carolina's.
Biggest city: South Carolina's biggest city is Charleston with 157,665 people; China's is Shanghai with 24,870,895. Shanghai's population is 157.7 times larger than Charleston's.
Largest metro area: South Carolina's largest metropolitan area is Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area (2,883,370 people) vs China's Shanghai (29,558,908). Shanghai's population is 10.3 times larger than Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area's.
History: South Carolina: Admitted to the Union on May 23, 1788, as the 8th state. China: The People's Republic of China was founded on October 1, 1949. In its current form, South Carolina is the older of the two by 161 years.
South Carolina vs China Economy
GDP: South Carolina's GDP is $357.1 billion (2024) vs China's $19,498.0 billion. China's economic output is 54.6 times larger than South Carolina's.
GDP per capita: South Carolina: $65,173 per person vs China: $13,862. South Carolina's GDP per capita is 4.7 times (370%) higher than China's.
Average income: South Carolina: $60,776 vs China: $14,230 average income per person (per capita personal income). South Carolina's average income is 4.3 times (327%) higher than China's.
Official Websites
South Carolina official website · China official website
More Size Comparisons
All South Carolina size comparisons · All China size comparisons
Area, elevation and boundary figures come from official national statistics and US Census Bureau and Natural Earth boundary data; US state population, economic, county and tax figures come from the US Census Bureau, the Bureau of Economic Analysis and the Tax Foundation. Figures are rounded and for general reference.